Vertical extension
of a building above
the foundation
Columns, beams,
and loadbearing
walls support floor
and roof structures
The substructure is
the underlying
structure forming
the foundation of a
building

Service System

Service system is
consists of elements
which service to users
of constructions.
• Light

â&#x20AC;˘ Substructure:
Substructure is the vertical
structure of the building above the
foundations.

Week 1 Studio Activities

Play with bricks

This is the way we build the tower
by bricks. So that each level can
support each other and play a
connection role.

Week 1 Studio Activities
Play with bricks

We tried many time to
build a beam by using the
rubber band but failed,
because we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make it
stable.

Then we decided to
make the basement
smaller so that it
increasingly become
sharp on the top. Then
we can build the sharp
for 2 bricks each level
and went up quickly.

Week 1 Studio Activities
Play with bricks

During the weight capacity
test I thought this tower
would be broke but it
didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. Finally they hit it by
bricks from the side then it
appears some holes on it.

Week 1 Glossary
â&#x20AC;˘ Truss: A truss is a structural frame based on the geometric rigidity of the triangle and composed of linear
members subject only to axial tension or compression.

â&#x20AC;˘ Structural span: The span capability of horizontal elements determines the spacing of their vertical
supports. This fundamental relationship between the span and spacing of structural elements influences
the dimensions and scale of the spaces defined by the structural system of a building.

In this weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s studio we are
required to build a tower
as tall as we can. Considering
what we learned
before, a draft of the tower
structure was agreed by
all members.

The idea of the main body of the tower is from
the
famous Eiffel tower and Chin (2008) description
about the weight of structure decreasing though
the increasing of the height therefore the swing
of
the structure can be controlled and the
foundation
can carry more loads. At the same time the
structure of trusses is considered to strengthen
the
bottom part of the tower. The relating
information
will be exposed in further discussion.

Week 2 Studio Activities

Play with balsa wood
Material
â&#x20AC;˘ 40 strips
â&#x20AC;˘ As long as
we can

We all thought build a triangle as the basement
because it is the most stable shape.

This structure is
built for avoiding
bucking of
columns (Chin, 2008):

Because of the
slenderness ratio,
longer and
slimmer the
column is, easier it
will bend hence
buck.

Week 2 Studio Activities

Play with balsa wood
This is the final tower,
because we cut the
strips as really long
ones so that we used
plenty of strips to
support and made it
stable but it still
reached the roof.

The green timbers can avoiding shifting
between columns and braces, also transmit
loads between columns.